Jury
told of Lorna's pregnancy after the verdict as judge says that life
is the only possible sentence

The
Old Bailey Jury has found Rena Salmon guilty of the murder of Lorna
Stewart. Mrs Salmon shot her husbandís girlfriend twice in, what
was then, Equilibrium on the Chiswick High Road last September.

Mrs Salmon had pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of diminished
responsibility however, her defence was unable to convince the jury
that her depression after the break down of her marriage was a contributing
factor to her actions. She was told by Judge Neil Dension that the
only possible sentence, given the verdict, was life.

Before
the jury adjourned, Judge Neil Denison advised them to put aside
any sympathy and decide on the basis of the evidence, using common
sense, whether the case was one of murder or manslaughter. He added
people often went though a period of "intense unhappiness"
when marriages broke up and many felt "justifiable anger"
towards the person they considered responsible, but "very rarely"
did they kill that person.

Floral tributes outside the shop
where the shooting occurred

Peter
Clarke QC, prosecuting, disclosed to the jury after the verdict
that Lorna had been two months pregnant when she was shot. Salmon
did not know Lorna was pregnant so it was ruled to be inadmissible
as evidence.

DI
Steve Morris of the Specialist Crime Directorate West said: "This
whole episode has been a tragedy for all of the families concerned
and the impact on them cannot be overstated; after all, we have
four children of school age without a mother, but I believe that
the jury has come to the right decision."

He
added that the murder had been planned for some days and Salmon
gave no thought to the welfare of Lorna's children. Whilst accepting
the fact that she had had a disturbed childhood he said that it
was wrong for her to use this as a defence for the pre-meditated
and cold-blooded murder of Lorna Stewart. He extended the sympathies
of the Met. to all the families concerned in this tragedy.

When
the verdict was delivered Salmon was silent. Her defence said she
felt profound and genuine remorse and had been suffering from severe
depression. She has reportedly attempted to take her own life twice
since learning of her husband's affair with Ms. Stewart.

Salmon's
solicitor Tan Ikram said: "She is strong. "Her main concern
is for the families who have been touched by this tragedy."